BCT Editorial – 5/1/06

This page was last updated on May 1, 2006.

Gassed up; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 1, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“America’s leaders scramble to pander to the public on oil America doesn’t have leaders; it has panderers.

[RWC] You’ll get no argument from me on this statement, but as you’ll read below, the Times hands aren’t clean either.

“With gasoline prices going through the roof, every elected official who steps in front of a microphone these days seems compelled to pledge to do something about the high cost of gasoline.

“Over the last week, Gov. Ed Rendell has called for a tax on windfall profits, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said the government should consider taxing oil companies if they make excessive profits amid rising gasoline prices.

“Even President Bush got into the mix, calling for the development of alternative energy sources and ordering the Energy and Justice departments to open inquiries into whether the price of gasoline has been illegally manipulated.

“They’re not alone. Just about every politician is scrambling to get on the populist side of this issue, with state Sen. Sean Logan, D-Monroeville, being the panderer-in-chief. Logan has called for the state to suspend its 31.2 cents a gallon gasoline tax until Oct. 31.

“That’s the height of irresponsibility. Pennsylvania needs all the money it can get when it comes to repairing and maintaining its roads. As a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers showed, the state can’t afford to forego the $80 million a month the tax brings in.”

[RWC] Read my critique of “Cutting corners” to address the ASCE stuff.

“ASCE estimates that 46 percent of Pennsylvania’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition and that PennDOT has a $2.3 billion maintenance backlog for roads and an $8 billion maintenance backlog for bridges.

“Here’s one more ASCE eye-opener: 42 percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

“Pennsylvania has a $10.3 billion maintenance backlog, and Logan wants to give up $420 million in revenue (May through October at $80 million a month). He wants to sacrifice the long-term good of the commonwealth for short-term political relief.

“Logan says the revenue can be made up by taking the money from the state’s projected $600 million surplus, but that merely robs money from other essential services the state provides.

“If the United States (and Pennsylvania) had real leaders, here’s what they’d be telling the American people:

“‘The price of gasoline is high because the economic booms in China, India and other Third World countries are pushing up the demand for oil.

“‘Another thing behind the increase in the price of oil is political instability in major oil-producing nations: Venezuela, Nigeria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates. Anyone of them could have their oil-producing capabilities disrupted because of internal turmoil or international conflict.”

[RWC] Actually, many of the panderers have mentioned the first two points.

“‘Finally, you, the American people, are responsible. You ignored calls for energy conservation and higher mileage standards. You refused to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, preferring to purchase gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks because eternal cheap gas was your God-given right as an American.

“‘You also failed to take seriously those who called for the development of alternative energy sources to make our nation less dependent on imported oil.

“‘That’s the energy world we have to live in. Get used to it.’”

[RWC] As I noted in a previous critique, you will note in the last two points the editorial the author referred to “the American people” and “you.” Not once did the author use the pronoun “we.”

You noticed there was no mention of increased domestic oil and gas supply. If you recall, Times editorials take the position that conservation is our savior and attempts to increase supply would be futile.